“We get $160 in track and field,” were the words from Tara Davis-Woodhall rather recently. But why? Well, track and field is hands down one of the most thrilling events at the Olympics. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only time that track and field is respected. Ever since the Paris Olympics concluded, many athletes who took the gold have turned the spotlight they stood towards the issues faced by athletes in the sport! While Tara is one of them, she stands alongside the 100m champion Noah Lyles and 200m women’s gold medalist Gabby Thomas.

Tara, as seen, has previously spoken of the pay gap in track. Meanwhile, Noah has shed light on the dire conditions that athletes have to work through. As Noah himself puts it, “WNBA and NBA players walk off the bus, they go to a locker room… For us, we get to the track and go sit under a damn tent.” Yet, despite it all, when the gun goes off, all of them give performances that leave the world stunned. It’s clear that track and field deserve better. And Gabby Thomas might just have taken a step closer towards that track utopia.

Gabby Thomas is advocating for equality as loud as ever!

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, when Gabby went on to cross the 200m finish line, she clocked 21.83 and won Gold. This was not just a moment for Gabby Thomas, but for women around the world. She became the first American woman since Allyson Felix in 2012 to win the 200-meter gold. And that is not because there was any lack of talent! But purely because of the unfortunate condition of the track, in fact, Allyson Felix herself has spoken about the same!

Felix is a one-of-a-kind athlete who returned to the track after embracing motherhood. And boy-oh-boy was her journey tough, to say the least! As Fellix herself puts it, “I think we haven’t supported women in the right way, and it’s not that we are not capable, but women have struggled as athletes and being mothers.” No wonder Gabby Thomas draws inspiration from here. And now that drive has taken her to the doorsteps of a foundation that works towards the goals that were only imagined!

Not so long ago, the Women’s Sports Foundation announced Gabby Thomas as the newest member of their board of trustees. She joins alongside six others, including Val Ackerman, Stacey Allaster, David Friedman, Rachel Garcia, Alexander Popov, and Bill Shelton. WSF even took to Instagram and wrote, “They join an innovative group of cross-sector experts who are fiercely fighting for gender equity throughout the sports ecosystem.” So what exactly does WSF do?

The Women’s Sports Foundation was established in 1974, nearly 50 years ago. And it was established by none other than the popular tennis player Billie Jean King. Soon, the foundation garnered support and was joined by athletes, including American swimmer Donna de Varona and alpine skier Suzy Chaffee. The foundation, ever since, has been working towards gender equity in sports, helping girls and women break barriers on and off the field. And Gabby Thomas is joining a legacy of powerful women and intends to take it forward! However, she is not the only track athlete working with WSF!

Gabby is not the only track athlete working alongside WSF!

Gabby Thomas will be walking into a room of prized history. She will be joining Paralympian Scout Bassett. Bassett also happens to be WSF president and seven-time U.S. champion. Then there’s also the first adaptive athlete to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field. Any guesses on who that is? It is none other than the ever-so-iconic Aimee Mullins. And the list of legends doesn’t end there!

As there is also the American sprinter and bobsledder, Lauryn Williams, who’s part of WSF. Williams is a four-time Olympian and medalist in both the Summer and Winter Games. Talk about being surrounded by greatness! Gabby Thomas joining these great women is only the first step towards a better future for track and field. Together, they’re shaping the future of sports for women everywhere.